Insect-powder duster.



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A. & T. R. HOPPER. v msEcT PownEn uusTEn.

(Application led Aug. .3, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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i UNITED STATES PATENT Garros.

ALFRED HOPPER AND THOLWIAS R. HOPPER, OF HIGHLAND, NEV YORK.

INSECT-POWDER DUSTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,1 18, dated November 14, 1899.

Application filed August 3, 1899. Serial No. 726,003. iNo model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALFRED HOPPER and THOMAS R. HOPPER, of Highland, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Insect-Duster, of which the following is afull, clear, and eX- act description.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for discharging and distributing insect-destroying powder ori-vines, shrubs, or the like; and the object is to provide a device of this character of comparatively light construction, so th at it may be easily carried from place to place for operation and having a simple means for regulating the supply of powder to the discharge-tube, thus resulting in economy of powder, and, further, to provide a means operated by abellows action to agitate the powder in the hopper.

We will describe an insect-duster embodying our invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which siinilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an insectduster embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a top view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a section showing an equalizing discharge-nozzle employed.

Referring to the drawing-5,1 designates a hopper, here shown as having its side walls inclined inward and downward and having an opening at its top through which the powder may be inserted, and this opening is normally closed by a screw-cover 2. The bottom 3 of the hopper has triangular openings 4, providing communication between the hopper and a powder-chamber 5, in which is comprised a discharge-tube 6. The openings 4 are controlled by triangular plate-valves 7, which are connected to a rod 8, extended outward through an opening in a wall of the chamber 5. Obviously by operating these valves 7 greater or less openings' may be formed for providing communication between the hopper and the chamber, and as these openings are V-shaped it is obvious that the powder drawn through the same will be distributed in the chamber.

As a means for agitating and breaking up lumps of powder contained in the hopper before drawing the pulverized powder through the openings into the powder-chamber we employ Scrapers 9, here shown as of triangular form and having their upper portions or apeXes connected to a rod .10, movable in openings formed in opposite walls of the hopper. These agitators may be braced by means of wires or rods 11, secured thereto and having their lower portions parallel with the lower portions of the scrapers, as plainly indicated in Fig. 5.

A bellows 12 has its nozzle connected with the powder-chamber 5, and the operation of this bellows will not only serve to draw powder by suction through the hopper into the powder chamber and force the powder through the chamber, but it is designed also to operate the agitator. For this purpose links 13 14 are pivotally connected to the opposite sides of the bellows and at their meetingpoint are pivotally connected to a link 15, having connection with the rod 10. By this construction when the sides of the bellows are moved toward and from each other a shearlike action of the links 13 14 will cause a reciprocating motion of the agitators, thus breaking up the powder.

Any suitable discharge-nozzle may be connected to the outlet end of the tube 6. We have here shown divergent tubes 16 connected with said tube 6. Attached to the outer ends of these tubes 16 are funnelshaped nozzles 17, and the smaller ends of the nozzles are extended into the ends ofthe tubes 16; but there is a space between the outer surfaces of the nozzle and the inner surfaces of the ends of the tubes, so that powder forced through the tubes will be forced both through the interior of the nozzle and also alongv the outer sides thereof, and thus the powder will be equally distributed. The nozzle 17 may be connected to the tubes 16 by any suitable means-such, for instance, as wire clips 18,

as shown.

While we have shown two divergent nozzles 17, it is obvious that our invention is not coniined thereto, as a single nozzle of the form IOO gli)

described may be employed or a nozzle of any other form may be used.

A strap 19 is attached to lthe device, so that it may be supported from a persons shoulders.

The simple and compact form ofthe equalizin g-nozzle gives the de vice certain advantages over other powder-distributing devices employed, as the powder can be discharged directly down or horizontally through the foliage, or if insects are under a leaf it can be forced upward and against them, and the shape of the nozzle tends to spread a small quantity of powder over a comparatively large surface, thus resulting in an economy of powder.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An insect-duster, comprising a hopper, a powder-chamber below the same, valve-controlled openings providing communication between the hopper and the chamber, an agitator in the hopper, a bellows having communication with the powder-chamber, links having pivotal connection with the opposite sides of the bellows, and a connection between said links and the agitator, substantially as specilied.

2. An insect-duster, comprising a hopper, a powder-chamber below the hopper, avalvecontrolled communication between the hopper and chamber, an agitator in the hopper consisting of a number of wires formed in triangular shape, a rod to which said wires are connected, said rod having bea-rings through opposite walls of the hopper, a bellows having communication with the chamber, links having pivotal connection with opposite sides of the bellows, and a link connection with said irst-named links and the agitator-rod, substantially as specied.

ALFRED HoPPER. THOMAS R. HorPnR.

lVitnesses:

KATHARINE MAHONY, NELLIE J. SIMPSON. 

